Ball-bearing assembly



A ril 15, 1952 H. LEBENSFELD BALL-BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 5, 1950INVJENTOR HARRY ZEBENSFELD ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UnitedIndustrial Syndicate, Inc., New York County, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application January 3, 1950, Serial No. 136,623

The present invention relates to an improved ball-bearing assemblyparticularly applicable to bar stools having rotatable seats.

An object of my invention is to provide a ballbearing assembly of simpleconstruction, the elements of which are easily removable and simplyreplaced.

A further object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive butserviceable ball-bearing assembly for use with bar stools havingrotatable seats.

These objects and others are achieved by a ballbearing assemblyincluding axially aligned movable and base members, secured to oneanother across a spacer washer, which members have opposed fiat surfacesforming a raceway in which may rotate anti-friction balls, mounted atspaced intervals in an annular ball carrier, which carrier is securedagainst lateral displacement by a plurality of dimples in one of saidmembers disposed along the inner margin of said carrier.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying .drawing which illustrates a preferred embodimentthereof, it be--- ing understood that the foregoing statement of theobjects of my invention and the brief sum-' mary thereof are intended togenerally explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of -a ball-bearing assembly embodying myinvention, there being shown in dashed outline cooperative portions of abar-stool seat and column with which it may be employed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof in elevation taken along line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of said assembly showing therelation of parts.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of my invention thereinillustrated includes a movable member I!) comprising substantiallyplanar outer portions li, a centrally disposed concavity I2 ofsubstantially circular cross-section, and having a centrally locatedaperture I 3; the under side of said concavity having an annular fiatupper race I4- concentrically related to said aperture and downwardlyextending dimples I-5, in the form of indentations in said concavitywhich may be pierced therethrough, disposed about the inner margin ofsaid upper race, the outer portions I6 of said dimples having preferablythe same degree of are as the inner margin of upper race I4.

11 Claims. (01. 308-235) A bolt I'I, having a head I8 and a threadedshank portion l9, passes through a washer 3| and retains a base member20 in association with mov able member ID by means of the coactive re-.straining influence of nut 22 and washer 25.

Base member 20 is essentially a dish-shaped disc having a relativelybroad centrally located aperture 23. The peripheral portions of basemember 20 have been bent downward toform a collar 2|. A plane annularsurface extending inward of said collar along the top of said basemember forms lower race 24 substantially in register with upper race Mon the underside of movable member Ill when apertures I3 and 23 areaxially aligned, thereby forming a raceway between said upper and lowerraces. Within aperture 23 is seated spacer washer 26 which consists ofan annular fiat ring having a diameter just slightly less than thediameter of aperture 23 and having an axially disposed aperturepreferably of the same diameter as aperture I3in movable member I0.Spacer washer 2B is just slightly thicker than the thickness of thematerial of which base member 20 is made and is designed in that fashionin order to prevent the binding of base member 20 and movable member ID.

An anti-friction element, comprising an annular ball carrier 21 ofsubstantially the same diameter as upper and lower races I4 and 24 hav"ping apertured sockets 28 at spaced intervals in which are retainedballs 29, is disposed between said base and movable members It and 20and axially aligned with apertures I3 and 23 insaid members. Sockets 28are of slightly smaller diameter than balls 29 so that somewhat lessthan one-half of such balls extend therethrough. Balls 29 are looselyheld in place in ball carrier 21 by means of the upturned and inwardlyturned marginal portions 30 of said carrier, which extend inwardly overthe equator or greatest horizontally extending portions of said balls.Said marginal portions are slightly rounded at the location of each ballin order to minimize wear between said balls and the upper walls of suchmarginal por- Ball carrier 2'! is prevented from shifting laterally bydetent means in the form of dimples I5, the outer curved portions I6 ofsaid dimples coming into contact with the inner margin of said carrier.Although two such dimples aresufficient and although more than three mayalso be employed, I prefer to use three such dimples as the mostefii'cient detent means commensurable with economic construction.

The elements of the assembly are made'inselfmay be covered with heavygrease.

evident fashion and hence need no comment. It may be observed, however,that the principal members may be formed in relatively simple stampingoperations.

The assembly of the elements calls for neither particular mechanicalskill nor special tools. Bolt ll is passed through the various elementsin the order shown in Fig. 4, nut 22 being tightened home against Washer25.

The ball-bearing assembly is easily incorporated into a bar stool, suchas the one indicated in dashed outline in Fig. l by slipping collar 2 I,

of base member 20 over column 32 of a pedestal such as the pedestalillustrated in my application for a patent filed December 1, 1949, for aPedestal, bearing Serial No. 130,568 (series of 1948). Bores 33 may bealigned with similar bores on such column and said base member may bebolted to said column or otherwise affixed thereto by fastening meanspassing through said bores. The movable member It may be secured to theunderside of a seat 34 by means of wood screws or other fasteningdevices passing through bores 35 in said movable member.

For best operation, the anti-friction element It will be found that aseat mounted upon the ball-bearing assembly will rotate easily eitherwith or without a heavy load.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous additional changes in thedetails of construction, combina tion and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without transcending the scope of the invention ashereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable membermounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members havingopposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction meansdisposed between said members, said means including an annular ballcarrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ballcarrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means,formed on one of said members, disposed along a margin of saidanti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

2. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable membermounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members havingopposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction meansdisposed between said members, said means including an annular ballcarrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ballcarrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means,comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extendingtoward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of saidanti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

3. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable membermounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members havingopposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction meansdisposed between said members, said means including an annular ballcarrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ballcarrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means,comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extendingtoward the other of 4 said members, disposed along a margin of saidanti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof, saiddimples having curved edges confronting a margin of said anti-frictionmeans and substantially in register therewith.

4. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable memberoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member,said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a racewaytherebetween, an

annular ball carrier disposed between said members, balls rotatablymounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls beingoperable in said raceway, and detent means, formed on one of saidmembers, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateraldisplacement thereof.

5. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable memberoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member,said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a racewaytherebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members,balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier,said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprisinga plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the otherof said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to preventlateral displacement thereof.

6. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable memberoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member,said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a racewaytherebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members,

balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier,said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprisinga plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the otherof said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to preventlateral displacement thereof, said dimples having curved edgesconfronting a margin of said ball carrier and substantially in-registertherewith.

7. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relativelybroad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washerseated in said aperture, said washer being slight; 1y thicker than saidbase member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture,a movable member having an axial opening, said movable member beingoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member bymeans passing through said washer and said opening, said members havingopposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ballcarrier disposed between said members, anti-friction balls rotatablymounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being incontact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, anddetent means, formed on one of said members, disposed along a margin ofsaid ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

8. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relativelybroad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washerseated insaid aperture, said washer being slightly thicker than saidbase member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture,a movable member having an axial opening, said movable member beingoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member bymeans passing through said washer and said opening, said members havingopposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ballcarrier disposed between said members, anti-friction balls rotatablymounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being incontact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, anddetent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said membersextending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin ofsaid ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

9. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relativelybroad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washerseated in said aperture, said washer being slightly thicker than saidbase member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture,a movable member having an axialopening, said movable member beingoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member bymeans passing through said washer and said opening, said members havingopposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ballcarrier disposed between said members, antifriction balls rotatablymounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being incontact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, anddetent means, compris ing a plurality of dimples in one of said membersextending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin ofsaid ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said dimpleshaving curved edges confronting a margin of said ball carrier andsubstantially in register therewith.

10. A ball bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relativelybroad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washerseated within said aperture, said washer being slightly thicker thansaid base member and slightly smaller in diameter than said aperture, a

movable member having an axial opening and adapted to carry a loadoppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member bymeans passing through said washer and said opening, said members havingopposed fiat an nular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anannular ball carrier disposed between said members, anti-friction ballsrotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, saidballs being in contact with said opposed annular surfaces and operablein said raceway, said movable member having a plurality of dimplestherein extending toward said base member and spaced along the inneredge of the annular surface on said movable member, said dimples havingcurved edges confronting the inner margin of said ball HARRY LEBENSFELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,326,034 De Martino Dec. 23,1919 1,859,352 Albee May 24, 1932

